Year End Review 2018, NITI Aayog - Part -I

Initiatives and Programmes

• Assessing States' performance - NITI finalized indices to measure incremental annual outcomes in terms of critical social sectors like health, education, water and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
• The District Hospital Index was developed to measure and monitor the performance of hospitals with a focus on outputs and outcomes.
• A guidebook was released on World Health Day 2016.
• Presently, the implementation phase is underway in collaboration with MoHFW; Indian Statistical Institute is assisting in data analytics.
• NITI Aayog has developed the ‘Healthy States, Progressive India’ Report also known as the ‘Health Index’.
• The Composite Water Management Index was also launched.
• The ‘School Education Quality Index (SEQI)’, ‘SDG India Index’ and the ‘Digital Transformation Index’ (DTI) which will measure states’ progress in respective sectors are in the works.
• Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital (SATH) - SATH is aimed at initiating transformation in two key social sectors - education and health.
• States are guided towards improving their social sector indicators and are provided technical support over three years.
• It was launched with selection of states through a unique challenge method.
• A major school consolidation and integration programme has been initiated with over 26,000 schools merged for better efficiencies and utilisation of resources.
• Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka were selected to improve their healthcare delivery and key health indicators.
• In education, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand were selected.
• Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat - EBSB was conceptualized to make the country united, strong and promote excellence in all walks of life.
• It achieves this by means of long-term inter-state engagements through cultural exchanges and education.
• MoUs were entered with six paired States/UTs. The Department of Higher Education, MHRD continued the initiative.
• Towards further integration, 100 commonly used conversational sentences throughout India were identified.
• They were translated into 22 Indian languages, compiled in a form of book and widely disseminated.
• Development Support Services to States (DSSS) for Development of Infrastructure - DSSS was launched to de-risk projects and address key structural issues in project development and build institutional and organizational capacities.
• It aims at establishing a Centre-State partnership model and reignite Private Public Partnership across infrastructure sectors.
• Projects received from the states were shortlisted using the challenge method, for structuring and implementation.
• Public-Private Partnership in Health - A guiding framework was developed for States, for implementation at district hospital level, focusing on tier II/III cities and by engaging services of private/voluntary sector providers.
• This is to help States achieve government's health goals in the area of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of select Non-Communicable processes.
• E.g. Cardiac Sciences, Oncology and Pulmonary Sciences
• A model concessionaire agreement was also launched in October 2018 along with the guidelines for promoting PPP in Healthcare.
• Resolution of pending issues - All pending issues with the Central Ministries from all States and UTs have been expeditiously resolved.
• State Human Development Report - Maharashtra, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Nagaland, Bundelkhand region and Delhi were supported in the preparation of State Human Development Reports.
• Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) - Launched in January, 2018, ADP is a special initiative to rapidly transform 115 identified districts.
• These had shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas and emerged as pockets of under-development, posing a challenge to ensure balanced regional development.
• So the aim was to realise the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (collective efforts, inclusive growth), and ensure that India’s growth process remains inclusive.
• Under ADP, 49 key performance indicators (KPIs) have been identified.
• Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure are the main sectors of focus.
• In April, 2018, NITI Aayog released the baseline ranking of these districts for them to ascertain their status in these sectors and work to becoming the best district in the State.
• ADP also offers a platform for different segments of population and institutions - civil service organisations, private sector foundations, philanthropies etc to work for inclusive development.
• An Aspirational Districts Dashboard has been developed, called ‘Champions of Change’, which captures real-time data and ranking across all indicators.
• The District Collectors/Magistrates are providing self-reported data through this dashboard to capture progress.

Promoting Inclusive Growth - giving fillip to government’s goal to ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’

• New Guidelines have been issued to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• They are to ensure transparent and equitable allocation of funds amongst States deprived of central fund under the areas covered under Constitution's sixth schedule.
• To leverage the pivotal role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), an expert committee was constituted, which recommended restructuring of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
• RGSA has since became a centrally sponsored scheme from 2018-19 to 2021-22 to address the challenges faced by the States.
• Government discontinued with the Five Year Planning model and also merged the Plan and Non-Plan Expenditure recently.
• So new guidelines for earmarking of funds for SCs and STs in the new budgeting system have been prepared and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for necessary action.
• A report on Revamping of Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) to promote them as top class research institutes is being examined by NITI Aayog for further necessary actions.
• Monitoring framework for SCSP (Schedules Caste Sub-Plan) and TSP (Tribal Sub-Plan) has been developed and circulated to the nodal Ministries for online monitoring of SCSP and TSP.
• Gaps in the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, 2006 have been identified.
• The details were forwarded to the department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for revision of the Policy.
• A concept paper - 'Means of livelihood in LWE Areas: Prospects of Aroma, Honey, Dairying and other Traditional Industries' - has been finalised.
• It was circulated to the concerned Central Ministries, States and other stakeholders for necessary actions.
• The new NGO-Darpan Portal which went live in April 2017 was developed as a dynamic database of NGOs in India. 43,000 NGOs have already registered.
• It is also designed for NGOs to obtain Unique ID to be eligible to apply for grants from any central Ministry/Department.

Enabling Evidence-Based Policy Making and Enhancing Productive Efficiency with Long-Term Vision

• Three Year National Action Agenda and the Strategy for New India @75 - NITI Aayog prepared a Three Year Action Agenda covering the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
• The Action Agenda framework allows better alignment of the development strategy with the changed reality of India.
• Strategy document for India’s 75th year of independence covering the period 2017-18 to 2022-23 is being prepared by NITI Aayog.
• It presents goals for 2022-23 as well as a way forward on how to achieve them and it shall be launched soon.
• Reform of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) - NITI Aayog, in consultation with administrative ministries, made recommendations for strategic disinvestment in PSUs.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of more than 30 CPSEs so far, based on these recommendations.
• The process of divestment is being carried out by DIPAM, and the first transactions are expected in the current financial year after a long gap of 14 years.
• A report was submitted to the Government on 74 sick/loss-making/non-performing CPSEs.
• The recommendations for this are under implementation, and so far more than 15 CPSEs are undergoing closure.
• Balanced Regional Development :
• 1)Release of Special Funds - NITI Aayog recommended release of balance funds to Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal under the Special Plan (BRGF-State component) approved during the 12th Five Year Plan period.
• Release of one-time special assistance to Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura for the areas covered under sixth schedule was done.
• 2)Development support to the North East - A Committee was constituted to examine and suggest a road map for a new industrial policy for North Eastern and Himalayan States.
• Based on the recommendations, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) prepared the North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) 2017.
• 3)NITI Forum for North East - It is the first ever regional forum constituted by NITI Aayog with representation from all the NE States and the concerned Central Ministries/Departments.
• The forum also has eminent experts and reputed institutions (IIT, IIM, NERIST, RIS, RFRI etc.) as members.
• It is to identify constraints for accelerated, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and to recommend interventions for addressing the constraints.
• 4)Holistic Development of Islands - NITI Aayog is mandated to steer the process of holistic development of identified islands as unique models of sustainable development.
• It has shortlisted 10 islands in the first phase. Final Site Potential Development Reports have been prepared for all the Islands.
• Global Investor’s Conference was held in August 2018 to showcase the tourism, economic and employment potentials of Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• 5)Island Development Agency (IDA) - IDA was set up in June 2017 under the Chairmanship of the Home Minister of India, with the CEO, NITI Aayog as the Convener.
• It undertakes reviews on the progress of holistic development of identified islands.
• 6)UNDP Projects - GIS Based Planning - The innovative GIS model was used and “Village Profile and Talukka Planning Atlas” was developed at BISAG Gujarat.
• BISAG is developing the customized software based on the actual requirement of each State/UT separately.
• Based on this, NITI Aayog suggested using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in planning, management and monitoring of government service delivery.
• Health & Nutrition Sector Reforms - National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2017 and National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine Bill, 2017 have been finalized.
• 1)National Nutrition Strategy - NITI formulated the Strategy, providing the rationale and roadmap for policy makers to make nutrition central in India’s Development Agenda.
• It focuses on inter-sectoral convergence and identifies priority districts to tackle malnutrition and meet India's nutrition needs and targets.
• 2)POSHAN Abhiyaan - This has been launched with the aim of improving nutrition outcomes in India in the next three years.
• The National Council responsible for steering of the programme is anchored in NITI Aayog and is chaired by its Vice-Chairman.
• September 2018 was designated as the POSHAN Maah, and a massive awareness and outreach campaign was launched.
• 3)Reforms in Pharmaceuticals Sector - NITI provided policy inputs for making available affordable drugs and devices.
• Evaluation of National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research was conducted and needed suggestions were made.
• An ordinance was promulgated to establish a Board of Governors under the Chairmanship of NITI Aayog Member Dr V K Paul, to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).
• Energy Sector - India Energy Security Scenario (IESS), 2047 was revamped in 2015 and was used to determine Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) targets.
• NITI also supported Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Assam for the “Development of State Energy Calculator”.
• In the second phase, three more states - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have been taken up.
• In a stakeholder-driven, roadmap development exercise, NITI has launched a report on ‘India’s Renewable Electricity Roadmap 2030’, summarizing the opportunities and barriers in the sector.
• Draft National Energy Policy (NEP) developed by NITI Aayog is being finalized.
• NITI Aayog has also developed the State Energy Index to assess States' status in ensuring accessible and affordable energy and their sustainability and environment friendliness.
• NITI Aayog is also developing a dynamic GIS Energy Map of India in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
• The consolidated energy map would provide requisite energy related information to all stakeholders for better decision making.

 Cross Sectoral Interventions

• Employment and Exports - In 2017, NITI Aayog constituted a high level Task Force under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog on employment and exports.
• Comprising senior secretary-level officials of the government of India and external experts, it has made sector-wise recommendations on jobs and exports.
• Rural Drinking Water - Rs 1000 crore was released for developing water resources in 19 arsenic- and fluoride-affected States for providing safe drinking water.
• More than 3100 arsenic-/fluoride-affected habitations of 14 States have been covered so far with safe drinking water.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) - Since its launch in 2014, about 3.64 lakh villages, 385 districts and 13 States & 4 UTs have declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF).
• The achievements in this regards are as follows:

1. coverage of rural households with toilets has increased from 39% to 84% in the last four years
2. more than 90% of rural households who have access to toilets are now using them
3. in the urban areas, 100% door to door collection of solid waste has been achieved in nearly 62,000 out of 84,000 wards
4. 2,618 cities have declared themselves ODF out of which 2089 cities have been certified as ODF by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through third party verification

• Higher Education - Recommendations were made for short-term measures for reforms in higher education sector, including -

1. proposals for graded autonomy
2. reforms in accreditation framework
3. targeted recommendations to push for quality and to remove out-dated regulatory aspects of UGC and AICTE

• MHRD is in advanced stages of implementing these recommendations.
• Port Ecosystem - NITI drove the Port Ecosystem Efficiency movement through a series of inter-sector meetings.
• India’s gold market - NITI Aayog's recommendations to transform India’s gold market was finalised and submitted to the Finance Minister.
• Training and practice guide for the social sector - ‘Manual on Gender Inclusive Planning’ and ‘Manual for Social Audit’ has been published in this regard.
• Strategy reports - Reports on strategies for ‘Self-reliance in critical and strategic resources of rare earths’ and for effective utilisation and monitoring of ‘Fly Ash and Slag” were produced.
• National Mineral Policy, 2018 - A roadmap for revising the 2018 Policy to revitalise the growth of Mineral sector was formulated.
• Challenge Method Guidelines for selection of sites for key Central Government assisted projects has been evolved.
• Strategic Mobility Framework for tier 2 and tier 3 cities to improve public transport and non-motorised transport is being worked out.
• Skill Development - A sub-group of 10 Chief Ministers on Skill Development was serviced by NITI Aayog.
• It made recommendations for improving access, equity, relevance, quality and enhanced sources of finances, which are being taken forward by the Ministry of Skill Development.
• Water resources in the North Eastern Region - For management of water resources in the region, a high level Committee under Vice Chairman was set up.
• Expert Committee was also set up under CEO, NITI Aayog to examine policy for revitalisation of rivers.
• Tribunals Merger - The merger of 36 Tribunals to 18 Tribunals is being coordinated and implemented by NITI Aayog with all the concerned Ministries.

Source: PIB